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Los Angeles – Living Small in a Big City

        Here is a fact about me: I love big cities, they make me feel alive. It may be because I grew up in one. I never feel alone in a big city. The tumult of the streets, the buzzing cafés, the big...

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The Hawaiian Airlines Surprise

       It’s hard to sing praises to the airline industry in an era when flying economy became a miserable experience. Let’s be honest, if you don’t count yourself among the privileged ones who can fly...

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Top 5 Places I Would Revisit Anytime

But for my nomination for the Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go challenge I would have never written this post. But who doesn’t want to win a brand-new iPhone 6? While there is still a huge part of...

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Christmas Traditions I Can’t Live Without

Ah, Christmas, the biggest and most beloved holiday of the year! As hectic as this season is, I am still looking forward to it every year. From mid November until after New Year’s Day it is one big...

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My Best Travel Moments – Reviewing 2014

With just a couple of days left till the end of the year, I thought it would be fun to reflect on my best travel moments of 2014. When I think back to my travels, Paul Theroux’s statement always comes...

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Thankful for the Gift of Travel

Sometimes it’s easier to focus on what we don’t have, rather than what we do have. But if we take time out and reflect, we’ll discover there are way more things to be thankful for then there are...

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For Whom the Bells Toll?

No, this post is not about Ernest Hemingway or about his hero, Robert Jordan, the young American soldier in the International Brigades. Nor does it have anything to do with the Spanish Civil War. It is...

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A Year in Review: My Best Travel Moments of 2015

The month of January has always been a bit sad for me and that’s because I fiercely love the Holidays. I love the twinkling lights that garnish the buildings all over the city, the aroma of freshly...

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Perplexed by America: the Culture Shock of an European Immigrant

Over a year ago when I wrote an article about the customs, practices and cultural values of the Romanians, some of you asked me to write about my culture shock as a Romanian immigrant to America. It...

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Bacara Resort & Suites – Is It Worth the Steep Price?

The Bacara Resort & Spa in Goleta, California, has all the essentials of a luxury seaside resort — tennis courts, a full-service spa, several infinity pools, fine dining venues and, of course,...

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A Year in Review: My Best Travel Moments in 2016

So here we are again, ready to celebrate a new year. I can’t believe 2017 is just around the corner. How did time fly so fast? As 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to pause and reflect on it. But before...

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Best in Travel: 10 European Cities You Shouldn’t Miss

Since beauty is so subjective, what makes a city attractive? Is it architecture, landmarks, cultural life? If you traveled long enough you probably discovered that the world is full of boring,...

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Best in Travel: 10 Spectacular Places You Should Visit Before You Die

The world is filled with so many spectacular places that one lifetime would not be enough to visit all of them. Most of us will probably never be able to visit everything that this world has to offer,...

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6 Things You Can Surely Relate to If You Were Raised Under Communism

Growing up in communist Romania had its own advantages. I could tell you all kinds of dreadful stories about those times and they would all be true, but not everything was bad. Yes, there were five of...

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Bacara Resort & Suites – Is It Worth the Steep Price?

The Bacara Resort & Spa in Goleta, California, has all the essentials of a luxury seaside resort — tennis courts, a full-service spa, several infinity pools, fine dining venues and, of course,...

View Article


A Year in Review: My Best Travel Moments in 2016

So here we are again, ready to celebrate a new year. I can’t believe 2017 is just around the corner. How did time fly so fast? As 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to pause and reflect on it. But before...

View Article

Best in Travel: 10 European Cities You Shouldn’t Miss

Since beauty is so subjective, what makes a city attractive? Is it architecture, landmarks, cultural life? If you traveled long enough you probably discovered that the world is full of boring,...

View Article


Best in Travel: 10 Spectacular Places You Should Visit Before You Die

The world is filled with so many spectacular places that one lifetime would not be enough to visit all of them. Most of us will probably never be able to visit everything that this world has to offer,...

View Article

6 Things You Can Surely Relate to If You Were Raised Under Communism

Growing up in communist Romania had its own advantages. I could tell you all kinds of dreadful stories about those times and they would all be true, but not everything was bad. Yes, there were five of...

View Article

Great Expectations? A Rant About Tipping in America

The Trouble With Tipping  The practice of  tipping is pretty well established in the American service industry. We don’t think twice about handing over 15% – 20% of our bill after eating out in a...

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